Patents by Inventor Thomas Blank

Thomas Blank has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240105784
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a major surface, a trench extending from the major surface into the substrate and having a base and a side wall extending form the base to the major surface, and a field plate arranged in the trench and having a height f. The field plate is electrically insulated from the substrate by a dielectric structure arranged in the trench. The dielectric structure includes a first portion having a first dielectric constant and a second portion having a second dielectric constant higher than the first dielectric constant. The first portion is arranged in a lower portion of the trench. The second portion is arranged in an upper portion of the trench, a thickness x, and overlaps the height of the field plate by a distance v1, where f*0.1?v1?f*0.8 or f*0.3?v1?f*0.6.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Inventors: Thomas Ralf Siemieniec, Oliver Blank
  • Patent number: 11835367
    Abstract: Communication between a terminal, such as a consumption meter, installed at a fixed location and a mobile data collector, by way of Wireless M-Bus, via a short-range radio receiver. Data from the terminal is forwarded to the data collector via a bidirectional WPAN interface. The terminal sends a message periodically and unprompted for the communication set-up and subsequently opens a reception window after a period of time. In response, a command or a command sequence is conveyed from the mobile data collector to the receiver and to the terminal in one or more reception windows. The receiver determines the reception time at which the message arrives at the receiver, and the receiver stipulates the time at which the command or command sequence is transmitted onward to the terminal, so that the command or command sequence is received by the terminal within one reception window or multiple reception windows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Diehl Metering Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Schmitz, Achim Schmidt, Petra Joppich-Dohlus, Thomas Blank
  • Publication number: 20230384327
    Abstract: The present invention concerns new approaches for the diagnosis and treatment of dementia diseases. In particular, the present invention pertains to new markers for diagnosing dementia diseases as well as to new targets for the treatment of dementia diseases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2020
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Inventor: Thomas Blank
  • Publication number: 20230357868
    Abstract: This technology relates in part to methods and compositions for identifying and/or selecting one or more terpene synthase genes and/or variants thereof in a plant, based on which a plant with a desired terpene profile can be obtained and/or used. A desired terpene profile of a plant (i.e., the types and, optionally, the relative amounts of terpenes in a plant) can include, for example, an energetic terpene profile, an anti-nociceptive terpene profile and an insecticidal terpene profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2022
    Publication date: November 9, 2023
    Inventors: Christopher Stephen PAULI, Anthony TORRES, Reginald GAUDINO, Keith ALLEN, Thomas BLANK, Kymron DE CESARE
  • Patent number: 11798471
    Abstract: Described is a display system comprising a light source, a scanning assembly, and a controller. The light source includes a first plurality of emitters forming a column that emits a first color. The light source also includes a second plurality of emitters forming a column that emits a different color. The scanning assembly includes a reflective surface rotated by the controller using a control signal having a nonlinear, pulsed waveform. The controller drives the first plurality of emitters and the second plurality of emitters in sequence, during respective portions of the nonlinear waveform, and in synchronization with rotation of the reflective surface such that light emitted by the first plurality of emitters and the second plurality of emitters is reflected onto a same pixel of an output image. The controller also adjusts emission durations of individual emitters to compensate for changes in the rotational speed of the reflective surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: META PLATFORMS TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: William Thomas Blank, Ilias Pappas
  • Patent number: 11778151
    Abstract: A “Concurrent Projector-Camera” uses an image projection device in combination with one or more cameras to enable various techniques that provide visually flicker-free projection of images or video, while real-time image or video capture is occurring in that same space. The Concurrent Projector-Camera provides this projection in a manner that eliminates video feedback into the real-time image or video capture. More specifically, the Concurrent Projector-Camera dynamically synchronizes a combination of projector lighting (or light-control points) on-state temporal compression in combination with on-state temporal shifting during each image frame projection to open a “capture time slot” for image capture during which no image is being projected. This capture time slot represents a tradeoff between image capture time and decreased brightness of the projected image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Sasa Junuzovic, William Thomas Blank, Steven Bathiche, Anoop Gupta, Andrew D. Wilson
  • Publication number: 20230304829
    Abstract: The invention relates to a rotary encoder (10) for a machine, in particular a hoist, crane or the like, and to a method for operating a rotary encoder, the rotary encoder having a rotary encoder shaft (12) which is connectable to a shaft of a machine for detecting a rotation of the shaft, the rotary encoder having a frame (11) which is mountable on a machine, the frame (11) having an encoder element (13) disposed thereon for detecting a rotation of the rotary encoder shaft and a signal output element (14) for outputting a rotation angle signal and/or a speed signal, the rotary encoder having a bearing device (20) by means of which the rotary encoder shaft is rotatably mounted on the frame, the rotary encoder having an insulating device (19) which electrically insulates the rotary encoder shaft and the bearing device from the frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2023
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Inventors: Thomas Blank, Simon Maiberger
  • Patent number: 11743435
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a headset display device includes a central processor and multiple projector integrated circuits for eyes of a wearer of the headset display device. Each eye of the wear is associated with at least three projector integrated circuits. Each of the three projector integrated circuits is communicatively coupled to the central processor. Each projector integrated circuit includes a first integrated circuit including a light emitter array having monochrome light emitters of a single color, and a second integrated circuit coupled to the first integrated circuit. The second integrated circuit includes a graphics processor configured to generate transformed image data. The graphics processor is configured to provide the transformed image data to the first integrated circuit. The first integrated circuit is configured to output the transformed image data using the light emitter array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Larry Seiler, William Thomas Blank, Warren Andrew Hunt, Michael Yee
  • Publication number: 20230243814
    Abstract: This technology relates in part to methods of classifying plant strains, such as Cannabis plant strains, in a manner that clusters them into clades based on shared terpene profiles. The methods provided herein permit plant strains with desired characteristics/phenotypes to be identified for use in various applications, such as agriculture (e.g., selecting strains for breeding desired characteristics) and medicine (e.g., therapeutic activity).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2021
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Inventors: Thomas BLANK, Reggie GAUDINO
  • Publication number: 20230161165
    Abstract: Electronic display devices include digital and analog control of pixel intensity. A digital pixel control circuit and an analog pixel control circuit are provided within each pixel. The digital pixel control circuit employs digital PWM techniques to control a number of subframes within each frame during which a driving current is supplied to a light emitting element within the pixel. The analog pixel control circuit controls the level of the driving current supplied to the light emitting element within the pixel during the frame. In one example, the digital pixel control circuit and the analog pixel control circuit may together control pixel intensity with the analog pixel control circuit providing additional in-pixel bits for increased color depth. Alternatively, the digital pixel control circuit may control pixel intensity and the analog pixel control circuit may control non-uniformity compensation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2023
    Publication date: May 25, 2023
    Inventors: Ilias Pappas, William Thomas Blank, Ramakrishna Chilukuri, Michael Yee
  • Publication number: 20230100751
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating conveyor means and to a control unit (10) for conveyor means, in particular hoisting gear, cranes, gantry cranes, container cranes or the like, the conveyor means comprising a drive unit (11) and a control unit for controlling the drive unit, a carriage of the conveyor means being moved along a rail (12) of the conveyor means by means of the drive unit, the control unit being controlled by means of a control device (13) of the control unit, a rotary encoder (16) of the control unit being connected to a shaft (18) of the drive unit or of a measuring wheel of the carriage and registering a rotation of the shaft, a rotation angle signal and/or a rotational speed signal being transmitted to the control device by means of an encoder device (17) of the rotary encoder in order to determine an assumed position of the carriage on the rail.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventors: Thomas Blank, Manfred Martis
  • Publication number: 20230045386
    Abstract: The interactive and shared surface technique described herein employs hardware that can project on any surface, capture color video of that surface, and get depth information of and above the surface while preventing visual feedback (also known as video feedback, video echo, or visual echo). The technique provides N-way sharing of a surface using video compositing. It also provides for automatic calibration of hardware components, including calibration of any projector, RGB camera, depth camera and any microphones employed by the technique. The technique provides object manipulation with physical, visual, audio, and hover gestures and interaction between digital objects displayed on the surface and physical objects placed on or above the surface. It can capture and scan the surface in a manner that captures or scans exactly what the user sees, which includes both local and remote objects, drawings, annotations, hands, and so forth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2022
    Publication date: February 9, 2023
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Sasa JUNUZOVIC, William Thomas BLANK, Bruce Arnold CLEARY, III, Anoop GUPTA, Andrew D. WILSON
  • Patent number: 11567325
    Abstract: Electronic display devices include digital and analog control of pixel intensity. A digital pixel control circuit and an analog pixel control circuit are provided within each pixel. The digital pixel control circuit employs digital PWM techniques to control a number of subframes within each frame during which a driving current is supplied to a light emitting element within the pixel. The analog pixel control circuit controls the level of the driving current supplied to the light emitting element within the pixel during the frame. In one example, the digital pixel control circuit and the analog pixel control circuit may together control pixel intensity with the analog pixel control circuit providing additional in-pixel bits for increased color depth. Alternatively, the digital pixel control circuit may control pixel intensity and the analog pixel control circuit may control non-uniformity compensation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: META PLATFORMS TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Ilias Pappas, William Thomas Blank, Ramakrishna Chilukuri, Michael Yee
  • Publication number: 20230002779
    Abstract: This technology relates in part to methods of identifying plant cultivars based on the terpene synthase genes that are identified and/or quantified (e.g., copy number, ploidy) in the cultivars. The methods provided herein permit plant cultivars with desired characteristics/phenotypes, e.g., a desired terpene production profile, to be selected for use in various applications, such as agriculture (e.g., selecting cultivars for breeding desired characteristics and/or lineages) and medicine (e.g., therapeutic activity).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Publication date: January 5, 2023
    Inventors: Christopher Stephen PAULI, Anthony TORRES, Reginald GAUDINO, Keith ALLEN, Thomas BLANK, Kymron DE CESARE
  • Publication number: 20220383810
    Abstract: Described is a display system comprising a light source, a scanning assembly, and a controller. The light source includes a first plurality of emitters forming a column that emits a first color. The light source also includes a second plurality of emitters forming a column that emits a different color. The scanning assembly includes a reflective surface rotated by the controller using a control signal having a nonlinear, pulsed waveform. The controller drives the first plurality of emitters and the second plurality of emitters in sequence, during respective portions of the nonlinear waveform, and in synchronization with rotation of the reflective surface such that light emitted by the first plurality of emitters and the second plurality of emitters is reflected onto a same pixel of an output image. The controller also adjusts emission durations of individual emitters to compensate for changes in the rotational speed of the reflective surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2022
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Inventors: William Thomas BLANK, Ilias PAPPAS
  • Patent number: 11509861
    Abstract: The interactive and shared surface technique described herein employs hardware that can project on any surface, capture color video of that surface, and get depth information of and above the surface while preventing visual feedback (also known as video feedback, video echo, or visual echo). The technique provides N-way sharing of a surface using video compositing. It also provides for automatic calibration of hardware components, including calibration of any projector, RGB camera, depth camera and any microphones employed by the technique. The technique provides object manipulation with physical, visual, audio, and hover gestures and interaction between digital objects displayed on the surface and physical objects placed on or above the surface. It can capture and scan the surface in a manner that captures or scans exactly what the user sees, which includes both local and remote objects, drawings, annotations, hands, and so forth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Sasa Junuzovic, William Thomas Blank, Bruce Arnold Cleary, III, Anoop Gupta, Andrew D. Wilson
  • Publication number: 20220297985
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a conveyor means, in particular a hoist, a crane, a continuous conveyor or the like, and to a control unit, the conveyor means comprising a drive unit (21) and a control unit (20) for controlling the drive unit, the drive unit comprising at least two drives (43, 44), the drives being controlled by means of a control device (22) of the control unit, a rotary encoder (25, 38) of the control unit being connected shafts (29, 42) of the drive unit of the conveyor means each allocated to the drives and registering a rotation of the shafts, a rotation angle signal and/or a rotational speed signal being transmitted to the control device by means of an encoder device (26, 39) of the corresponding rotary encoder in order to control the drives, the control device determining the corresponding rotational speed of the shafts and comparing it to a referential rotational speed, the control device controlling the drives depending on the comparison
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Publication date: September 22, 2022
    Inventors: Thomas Blank, Manfred Martis
  • Patent number: 11430384
    Abstract: Techniques are described for operating a display system comprising a light source, a scanning assembly, and a controller. The light source includes a plurality of emitters arranged in a column. The scanning assembly includes a reflective surface. A control signal including linear or sinusoidal pulses is applied to cause the reflective surface to rotate. The controller drives the emitters in sequence, using a same image data value, and in synchronization with the rotating of the reflective surface such that light emitted by different emitters of the plurality of emitters is reflected onto a same pixel of an output image. Changes in rotational speed are compensated for through increasing an emission duration for a first row driven while the reflective surface is rotating at a slower rotational speed, relative to an emission duration for a second row driven while the reflective surface is rotating at a faster rotational speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: META PLATFORMS TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: William Thomas Blank, Ilias Pappas
  • Publication number: 20220225164
    Abstract: A method for addressing a terminal, preferably a meter, of a group of terminals, includes providing a primary wireless communication channel between a gateway and the respective terminal, assigned to the gateway, of a wireless communication system, preferably a wireless MBus communication system. In order to improve the primary communication, the gateway is assigned a sub-network which is formed of the gateway in question and at least one terminal, preferably a group of terminals. A terminal network address is generated for each terminal assigned to the gateway of the sub-network, and the terminal network address is used to transfer data in the primary communication channel between the gateway and terminals assigned to the gateway.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2022
    Publication date: July 14, 2022
    Inventors: Stefan Schmitz, Thomas Blank
  • Publication number: 20220113542
    Abstract: Electronic display devices include digital and analog control of pixel intensity. A digital pixel control circuit and an analog pixel control circuit are provided within each pixel. The digital pixel control circuit employs digital PWM techniques to control a number of subframes within each frame during which a driving current is supplied to a light emitting element within the pixel. The analog pixel control circuit controls the level of the driving current supplied to the light emitting element within the pixel during the frame. In one example, the digital pixel control circuit and the analog pixel control circuit may together control pixel intensity with the analog pixel control circuit providing additional in-pixel bits for increased color depth. Alternatively, the digital pixel control circuit may control pixel intensity and the analog pixel control circuit may control non-uniformity compensation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2020
    Publication date: April 14, 2022
    Inventors: Ilias Pappas, William Thomas Blank, Ramakrishna Chilukuri, Michael Yee